Last Updated on by SCARS Editorial Team
RSN™ Guide: ScammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer. Crime Scene Investigation
Profile Forensics
Updated September 4, 2018
When You Connect With A Stranger, Look At Their Profile With A Critical Eye!
Of Course, You Should Not Be Talking To Strangers Online! But You Probably Ignored That Warning!
Look for the RED FLAGS
If you see any, walk away! Don’t try to explain it away. Just go!
Walk Through The Profile
- It is important that you look before and after accepting a friend request.
- You will be looking for “Out Of Place Artifacts” – odd things, inconsistencies, something inappropriate for this person.
- You will be looking for what is not there too!
Remember, scammers are sloppy and frequently reuse profiles.
Even if the profile is clean, absences and inconsistencies give them away.
- Name & Nickname
- Look At The Url (Web Address) For A Different Name – Hinting The Profile Was Renamed
- Profile Photos (Any Hint Of Other Names)
- How Many Photos – Real People Have Larger Numbers Of Photos
- Where Do They Work – Any Mention In Their Timeline?
- Schools / Studies
- Where They Live Now / Used To Live Places
- Relationships
- Contact Info
- Gender
- Family Relationships
- Details
- Verified Profile – if it is a public figure such as a General or Politician they will have a Blue Checkmark
- Friends List – who is in it?
- Their Followers
- Check-Ins – are there any from strange places or Africa?
- Music & Movies & Books – are they consistent with kind of person?
- Likes
- Timeline Posts – Type And Quantity, And Gaps In Time – look for large numbers of posts all at once
- Look At The Language Used – Is It Consistent For This Level Of Person / Nationality
- Look At The Language Setting – English (Uk) Or English (Us)
Finally, always do a name search to see if there are more profiles with the same name using the same face.
A real person will not immediately give you access to their world, but when you get in expect it to be well populated. A new profile is something to hide, even a real person may have something to hide, either way, it is a major RED FLAG.
WING-MAN
A word about wing-men or women
Always have a friend check out a new contact for you as well. Different people see different things and can be more skeptical about strangers. If you don’t have someone check them out, what are YOU trying to hide?
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